The field of the invention is motor vehicle engine accessories and the invention relates more particularly to the servicing of such vehicles and still more particularly to the removing of an oil filter without spilling oil.
Anyone who has changed the engine oil and oil filter in a motor vehicle will understand the challenge of removing an oil filter without spilling oil on a driveway or without having the oil run down one's arm. It is important to periodically change an oil filter so that it does not become clogged and thus, this messy job is a recurring one.
Several approaches have been taken to help solve this problem. One such approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,703 where a cover is placed over the oil filter just before it is to be removed. The cover has a flexible top with folds which help hold it against the engine block as the oil filter is unscrewed. Once the oil filter is unscrewed, the cover is held under the opening in the engine block to capture oil as it drains out of the engine. Unfortunately, the time required for the oil to drain is substantial and thus, the use of this device is somewhat tedious. Another device with this same shortcoming is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,922 where a wide mouth funnel holding a flexible bag is placed over the filter. The filter is then unscrewed and captured in the bag and the funnel is held under the opening in the engine block until the oil has drained out of the engine. This device as well as the aforementioned device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,703 would not be useful in an oil filter that is mounted very far from a vertical position since the oil would leak out at the top of the funnel or at the top of the flexible cup.
Several gasoline filters have been provided with spill-protecting devices to help capture gasoline spilling out when the gasoline filter is removed. One such device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,155 where a flexible bag is placed over the filter and has an associated funnel and flexible tube leading out of the bag. As the filter is removed, the gasoline flows into the bag and out the flexible tube. A somewhat different design for this same problem is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,356 where a protective cover with a lower annular seal is placed over the filter and the cover has a drain tube at the bottom thereof. A permanently affixed adapter is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,862. The device expedites the removal of oil from an internal combustion engine above the filter.
None of the above devices make the removal of an oil filter without spilling an easy task, although they are improvements over the most common system, namely that of unscrewing the filter and hoping that the oil will fall into the collection pan.